July 10, 2017 to September 5, 2017 [recurring];

March 14, 2018 to March 19, 2018 [guest appearances]

Caroline is the daughter of Karen Spencer and the namesake of her aunt, Caroline Spencer Forrester, who died of leukemia in 1990 while married to Ridge Forrester. Karen had a relationship with Ridge's brother, Thorne Forrester, and nearly married attorney Connor Davis before leaving Los Angeles in 1994; while Caroline has two mothers in Karen and her spouse, Danielle, the identity of Caroline's father has not been revealed on-screen. Caroline sports a cancer ribbon tattoo on the back of her neck to honor the elder Caroline.

Caroline lived in New York until 2012 until she relocated to L.A. to accept a designing position at Forrester Creations. Caroline enjoyed the attentions of Forrester heirs Rick Forrester and Thomas Forrester; when Rick's ex-wife, Amber Moore, who wanted Rick back, showed Caroline photos that seemed to indicate Rick was a cross-dresser, Caroline gravitated toward Thomas. Caroline and Thomas helped clear their friend, Marcus Walton, who thought he had hit a man with his car while texting. Caroline was jealous when Thomas kissed his former love interest, Hope Logan, as a publicity stunt; later, when Rick and Thomas' power struggle at Forrester ended with Thomas throwing Rick through a second-story window, Caroline dumped Thomas and began seeing Rick.

Caroline overheard her uncle, Bill Spencer, Jr., admitting he had broken Hope's father, Deacon Sharpe, out of jail to sabotage Hope's wedding to Bill's son, Liam Spencer. When Caroline confronted Bill, she tripped and fell from a balcony, reassuring others that Bill hadn't pushed her. Caroline helped Rick win a fashion showdown that led to Rick being named president of Forrester, which deepened their relationship.

But the usually demure Caroline showed another, more materialistic side when Rick began volunteering at Dayzee's, a coffee house known for aiding the homeless. Caroline became jealous of Maya Avant, a down-on-her-luck actress/singer with whom Rick spent a lot of time. Caroline's plot to get the unsuspecting Maya cast in a porn film backfired when Maya didn't take the bait and Caroline's photo with adult performer Herc was leaked on the Internet. Caroline tried to impress the increasingly aloof Rick by holding a fundraiser for the Caroline Spencer Cancer Foundation, during which Rick and other male Forrester execs modeled sleepwear. But Caroline knew Rick wanted to break up with her and purposely sidestepped the subject for as long as she could.

Caroline embarrassed Maya, an ex-convict who had become a model at Forrester, by having Maya don prison-themed fashions in a mock prison cell. Caroline was hopeful when it seemed Maya was pulling away from Rick, but then learned it was only because Bill was blackmailing Maya to benefit Caroline. Hoping to drive a wedge between the reunited Rick and Maya, Caroline pulled strings to get Maya cast on the web series Room 8 alongside Forrester lawyer/actor Carter Walton. Caroline got the producer to sex up the scripts to annoy Rick, and her ploy would have worked had Maya not overheard Caroline on the set in a heated conversation over the show's racy content.

Caroline tried a more sincere approach when she worked with Rick to rebrand Hope's fashion line, Hope for the Future (HFTF). When the successful HFTF showing kept Rick from attending the premiere of Room 8, Caroline reluctantly reported that Carter had been seen leaving Maya's apartment the next morning. Caroline was surprised when a retaliatory Rick made love to her, and more so when Rick announced that he wanted to reunite with Caroline. After Caroline accepted Rick's proposal at the entrance of Forrester Creations, where they met, Caroline and Rick were married during Hope's impromptu engagement party at Thanksgiving.

Caroline confronted Maya after Maya approached Rick for a reconciliation, claiming she hadn't had closure with Rick. Caroline set Maya straight and disapproved of Maya's methods when Maya secretly recorded house photographer Oliver Jones admitting he was only dating young Aly Forrester for job security.

When Caroline decided she wanted to branch out into couture, she mentored with Ridge, who had fallen out of a helicopter in the Middle East and sustained brain damage. Caroline was unprepared for the sparks that flew when Ridge clasped his hand over Caroline's to help make changes to a design. After Ridge confided to Caroline that his accident had left him unable to draw, Caroline agreed to privately help him design a collection. But once Maya spied Caroline kissing Ridge and reported it to Rick, Caroline faced Rick's vengeance, which included overpricing her collection in an attempt to sabotage it, flaunting his affair with Maya in Caroline's face, and shooting at Caroline and Ridge when Rick caught them kissing.

Caroline finally divorced Rick and made love to Ridge using paint from the portrait he was doing of her. Caroline visited her mothers in New York and kept in touch via video calls, later revealing that her ankles had been broken when she was struck by a car. Caroline leaned on Ridge, literally, as he helped her out of her wheelchair and encouraged her to walk again. Meanwhile, Caroline offered an olive branch to Maya after Maya was publicly exposed as transgender by Bill, then Caroline helped Ridge design the California Freedom line, whose showing featured Maya and other transgender models.

Reexamining her priorities as a result of her accident, Caroline admitted to Ridge that she wanted a baby. After Ridge let her go claiming he couldn't give her a family, Caroline washed down antianxiety pills with wine and woke up next to Thomas, who informed her they had made love. Reuniting with Ridge, Caroline swore Thomas to secrecy and married Ridge on the bluffs of Malibu, soon learning she was pregnant. When Ridge revealed he'd had a vasectomy years before, Caroline was forced to admit she was carrying Thomas' baby and reluctantly agreed with Ridge's contention they raise Thomas' baby as their own.

Caroline and Ridge had a hard time keeping the secret about her son, who was born via water delivery and named Douglas after the maiden name of Ridge's deceased mother, Stephanie Forrester. Caroline was uncomfortable with Thomas fussing over Douglas, but when Ridge's ex-girlfriend, Katie Logan, said she'd seen Ridge talking to a fertility specialist about his low sperm count, Caroline let it slip that Thomas was Douglas' father, forcing Caroline and Ridge to tell Thomas the truth. Caroline freaked when Thomas took off with the baby until Thomas summoned her to the Forrester cabin in Big Bear, where she convinced Thomas to keep quiet about Douglas' paternity to avoid a scandal.

Eventually concurring with Thomas that they couldn't keep living a lie, Caroline was surprised when Ridge put Douglas in Thomas' arms and walked out. Caroline still believed in her commitment to Ridge, but was inclined to agree when Ridge thought they should divorce for the baby's sake. Caroline gently declined Thomas' offer to be a family, then took Douglas to her mothers' house in New York until the media scrutiny about his paternity blew over. Having thought things over while she was away, Caroline came home now wanting to make a family for Douglas with Thomas although Thomas was moving on with model Sasha Thompson. Caroline delighted when Thomas changed his mind, however, and she took Thomas and Douglas back to New York for another extended trip. Later, Caroline stayed behind with Douglas in the Big Apple, as it was said her relationship with Thomas hadn't worked out.

Learning that Thomas had moved on with Sally Spectra, the namesake great-niece of Spectra Fashions' former knockoff queen, Caroline brought Douglas to L.A. at Steffy's behest, wanting Thomas for herself. Caroline clashed with Sally and accepted Bill's offer to tear Sally and Thomas apart. However, Caroline was aghast when Bill told Thomas she was dying; Caroline refused to go along with it at first but kept silent when Thomas embraced her and said he wanted to spend her "last" days with her and Douglas. Caroline bonded with Thomas and their son in the Big Apple, but made two visits to L.A. -- one to tell Bill she was tired of lying to Thomas and another after Sally suffered smoke inhalation from Spectra Fashions burning to the ground. Caroline suspected that Thomas really loved Sally after all and that Bill was behind the fire at Spectra.

Off-screen, Caroline finally confessed Bill's "I'm dying"� scheme to Thomas; she blamed Bill when Thomas dumped her once and for all. Caroline came to Los Angeles under the guise of visiting Bill, who had been shot in the back; instead, Caroline wrapped her hands around his neck and tried to choke her unconscious uncle. Having been interrupted, Caroline slinked out of the hospital and hasn't been heard from since; it was later said that, while Thomas reunited with Sally and wanted to take her and her Spectra Fashions crew back to New York with him, it was indeed Caroline who ultimately reunited with Thomas herself. As of early 2019, Caroline was said to be happy with Thomas in New York. But a couple of months later, Thomas returned to Los Angeles with news that he and Caroline had only been living together as co-parents when Caroline died from a sudden blood clot.